Achieve Next Level Communication Skills With These Team Building Activities

Are you ready to break the ice, shatter barriers, and unleash a huge wave of teamwork? Spoiler alert: it’s all about communication skills. Today, we introduce you top 15 team building activities that will help you refine and master communication. Bonus, we also give you 10 tips on how to do that in the workplace. Keep on reading!

Best team building activities to improve communication

1. Broken Telephone

If you haven’t played ‘Broken telephone’ in your childhood, then… something must have been broken. This is one of the most popular communication team building activities because it’s both fun and effective.

Here’s how it goes: The first player whispers a phrase to the next player, and they pass it along until everyone has heard the message. Then, the last player says the sentence out loud, and it’s revealed how close it is to the original phrase. For a twist, you can try a creative version where players take turns writing or drawing the phrase, seeing how well the end result matches the original meaning. It’s a great way to enhance teamwork and communication skills in your classroom, at work, or during a friends & family gathering.

• Skills: Listening and speaking skills, communication, teamwork
• Players: 5-30
• Duration: 1 – 15 minutes (Depending on the number of players. This can also be a great ‘minute to win it’ game for kids)
• Requirements: – 

2. Forming Groups

This is one of the proper team communication exercises that works wonders, especially with larger teams. More than that, it’s a fantastic choice for enhancing communication, particularly when team members aren’t too familiar with each other just yet.

To play this communication group activity, have your players form groups based on something they have in common. Get creative! They could group up based on their birthplace, early birds vs. night owls, favorite book genre, or whether they prefer McDonald’s over 5 Guys. The possibilities are endless, and you can let your imagination soar. The main objective is to foster quick group formation through effective communication.

Afterward, the fun part begins! Facilitate a discussion among the teams about the communication strategies they employed and how they reached their conclusions. Encourage them to share their tactics and explore how these strategies can lead to greater workplace efficiency.

• Skills: Communication, team bonding, listening skills
• Players: 10-30
• Duration: 30 minutes – 1 hour (Depending on how many rounds you play and how much invest in the discussions that follow the game)
• Requirements: A list of criteria to form the groups

3. Just Listen

Next, the roles will be reversed, giving everyone a chance to speak and listen. Once everyone has completed their turn, the group will come together for a discussion. They will explore how it felt to talk without interruption and reflect on questions such as the clarity of expression, the quality of the summaries, and the experience of extended listening without speaking.

To wrap up, participants will be encouraged to think about how they can apply the lessons learned from these communication activities to enhance their workplace interactions with colleagues and clients. By practicing active listening and effective speaking, they can strengthen their communication skills and foster better understanding in professional relationships.

• Skills: Listening and speaking skills, team bonding, communication
• Players: Pairs of 2
• Duration: 30 minutes – 1 hour
• Requirements: A list of topics to be discussed (avoid the controversial ones)

4. 3-Question Mingle

Games that involve ‘getting to know each other’ questions are great communication exercises for teams. ‘3-questions mingle’ is a fun and effective way to help new people quickly get to know each other no matter where they are – in a virtual or live setting. 

*Tip: This game is a perfect icebreaker for work during the early stages of onboarding. We have nice tips on how to introduce yourself to a new team.

Each player is given 3 sticky notes and asked to write down 3 open-ended questions. Luckily, we have compiled 2 awesome lists with the best icebreaker questions for work and the best icebreaker questions for virtual meetings. Here are some examples:

• What is the worst job that you had and why?
• What is one thing on your bucket list that you hope to achieve?
• What is your favorite way to unwind or relax after a busy day?

Once the game begins, it’s time to mingle! Players pair up and take turns asking 1 of their 3 questions. After asking a question, they both swap one of their remaining questions. Set a time limit, say 10 minutes, and when time’s up, bring everyone back together. Encourage your employees to share any interesting things they learned from each other during the mingle.

With the ‘3-Question Mingle’, you’ll witness fresh recruits bonding and discovering fascinating aspects about their colleagues in no time. It’s a great communication exercise for teams to foster connections and create a welcoming atmosphere within your group.

• Skills: Team bonding, communication, listening, and speaking skills
• Players: 6-30
• Duration: 30 minutes – 1 hour
• Requirements: Sticky notes, pens

5. Say It With Feeling

Get ready for an emotionally expressive and laughter-filled game! With ‘Say It With Feeling’, you’ll get to see your team flexing their emotional intelligence muscles and having a blast. This communication team building activity is a fantastic way to deepen the understanding within your group. 

In each round, a player is given a random phrase and a random emotion. Their task is to read the sentence using that specific emotion, while their teammates try to guess the feeling. But here’s where the fun begins! The game becomes even more exciting when the emotions are complex and specific. Imagine phrases like ‘the defensiveness after receiving challenging feedback’, or ‘the joy after being promoted’, or ‘the empathy when you’re involved in cross-team collaboration’.

The speaker can challenge the guessers to be more specific in their answers to make it even more engaging. Points can be awarded based on their accuracy and creativity.

• Skills: Team bonding, communication, observation skills, body language skills
• Players: 5-15
• Duration: 30 minutes – 1 hour
• Requirements: A list of feelings to be portrayed 

6. Mad Gab

‘Mad gab’ is a wildly entertaining team building communication exercise that will have everyone laughing. Players must take turns reading out a set of seemingly random words that, when pronounced correctly, form a familiar saying or phrase. The challenge is to guess the phrase before time runs out!

Let’s take an example: ‘Pure Ore Furs Run’ sounds like gibberish at first, but when you say it just right, it becomes ‘prioritize fun’. And of course that we, on eTeamBuilding, definitely do that! With ‘Mad Gab’, you’ll see hilarious moments as players decipher these hidden phrases and race against the clock. 

• Skills: Vocabulary skills, sharpness, communication
• Players: 3-20
• Duration: 10-30 minutes
• Requirements: A list of mingled sayings or phrases

7. Say Your Name Backwards

By playing this team building communication exercise, you’ll create an enjoyable atmosphere while encouraging interaction and laughter. It’s a fantastic way to kickstart camaraderie and foster a sense of togetherness within your team.

Here’s how it goes: Each team member introduces themselves by saying their name backward, and the other employees try to guess what the person is saying their name is. It’s a team building activity that works wonders, especially with new people who are still getting to know each other. 

• Skills: Communication, language skills, observation skills, team bonding
• Players: 3-30
• Duration: 5 minutes – 1 hour (depending on how many players you’ve got)
• Requirements: –

8. Mirror

Are you ready to mirror each other’s moves and build strong bonds? This one’s a simple and engaging nonverbal communication game that will have your team in sync! To begin with, players must pair up and face each other. One person becomes the leader, while the other takes on the role of the follower. The leader initiates movement without using words, and the follower mirrors their every action. It’s a challenge that relies entirely on body language and observation skills.

After a few minutes, the players switch roles, giving everyone a chance to lead and follow. The exercise is repeated, creating a fun and interactive experience for the whole team.

• Skills: Body language skills, observation skills, team bonding, communication
• Players: Pairs of 2
• Duration: 30 minutes – 1 hour
• Requirements: –

9. Shuffled Storyboards

Let us introduce you to one of the best team building communication activities whose main goal is to spark creativity and collaboration. To play ‘Shuffled storyboards’, you first need to divide the group into teams and hand each team a set of randomly shuffled illustrations that tell a story. In 3 minutes, the teams must arrange the cards in the correct sequence and create a captivating narrative to accompany the visuals. This requires effective communication as teammates discuss why they believe certain images should come before or after others, working together to craft a coherent story.

Once the time is up, each team presents their unique stories to the rest of the group. 

*Tip: The gamemaster can add an extra twist by revealing the intended story afterward. If the team’s interpretation differs significantly, the audience can vote on which version they find most engaging or entertaining.

• Skills: Creativity, communication, teamwork, team bonding, public speaking skills
• Players: Teams of at least 3 players
• Duration: 30 minutes – 1 hour
• Requirements: Illustration telling a story

10. The Perfect Square

For this communication group activity, you’ll need some rope and blindfolds. Gather your people and have them stand in a circle while holding onto the rope. Then, ask everyone to carefully place their part of the rope down, put on their blindfolds, and take 2 steps away from the circle.

Now comes the exciting part! In their blindfolded state, the team members must return to the rope and work together to form a new shape, like a square, all while keeping their blindfolds securely on. It’s a challenge that requires strong communication skills and often brings out leadership qualities within the group.

• Skills: Communication, teamwork, leadership skills
• Players: 5-20
• Duration: 5-10 minutes
• Requirements: Rope, blindfolds

11. Blindfold Stroll

This is a top-notch team communication exercise that brings fun and excitement to your group. Here’s how it works: create an obstacle course filled with twists and turns. Next, blindfold one player, making sure they can’t see a thing. The remaining players take on the role of guides, using their voices to provide directions and navigate the blindfolded player through the course. To add an extra thrill, you can introduce time challenges or include traps and penalties along the way. 

Regardless of how you play, this activity hones in on the importance of delivering clear and precise instructions while giving everyone the opportunity to practice their communication skills.

• Skills: Communication, teamwork, listening skills, leadership skills
• Players: 5-20
• Duration: 30 minutes – 1 hour
• Requirements: Blindfolds, on obstacle course

12. Frostbite

Frostbite is a communication exercise for teams who are asked to solve problems together. Imagine being arctic explorers in need of shelter to survive the freezing winter. Here’s the twist: the group leader has frostbitten hands, and the rest of the team is snowblind, wearing blindfolds.

The goal is to build a sturdy shelter that can withstand the harsh arctic conditions. The leader must guide the team through the process, using clear instructions and effective communication. They can choose to construct full-sized tents or create replicas using cards and tape.

*Tip: To put their shelter to the test, the gamemaster adds an exciting element by turning on a fan to simulate arctic winds. This will determine whether their creation can withstand the challenge.

Through ‘Frostbite’, teams will not only enhance their problem-solving abilities but also strengthen their communication skills. It’s a fun and friendly way to promote teamwork and effective collaboration, while also embracing the spirit of adventure in an arctic setting.

• Skills: Leadership skills, problem-solving skills, communication, teamwork
• Players: 10-30
• Duration: 1 hour
• Requirements: – 

13. Another Way to Say

Spark creativity and language skills with this team building communication activity: A single player kicks off the round by stating a phrase. Next, the other players eagerly offer up synonyms and alternative expressions related to the given phrase, one after another, until no options remain.

For example, if the starting sentence is ‘a delicious meal’, participants could suggest ‘a mouth-watering feast’, ‘culinary delight’, ‘gastronomic treat’, ‘tasty cuisine’, ‘flavorful indulgence’, ‘sumptuous banquet’, ‘savory delicacy’, and many more.

You can play it as a competitive last-man-standing game, where the player who keeps contributing the longest wins the round. Alternatively, players can collaborate to generate a variety of phrases. The main objective is to showcase the vast array of ways to convey a single idea.

• Skills: Vocabulary skills, communication, teamwork, competitive spirit
• Players: 5-20
• Duration: 5-30 minutes
• Requirements: –

14. The Elephant List

In this communication group activity, the players tackle important issues in a constructive and open manner. Here’s how it works:

Start by spreading sheets to each team member and allow a few minutes for them to write down one of these ‘elephants’ – a significant issue they believe exists within the team or organization. They should state whether the ‘elephant’ is within their control, influence, or something they need to accept. Next, collect the sheets and read them out loud while maintaining anonymity.

As a group, engage in a discussion to determine which ‘elephants’ are genuine issues and evaluate whether accepting them is the most appropriate course of action. Encourage open dialogue and explore which issues deserve attention and which ones can be let go. Focus on generating practical solutions and invite everyone to share their thoughts on these ‘elephants’. How can we resolve these issues? When is the ideal time to address them? Create an environment where active listening is valued.

Allow sufficient time for everyone to discuss and consider the best course of action. Encourage collaboration and ensure that each team member’s input is taken into account. This exercise aims to find actionable solutions while fostering a sense of unity and understanding among team members.

• Skills: Listening skills, communication, collaboration, team bonding
• Players: 5-30
• Duration: 1-2 hours
• Requirements: Sheets of paper, pens

15. Minefield

In this communication group activity, teams can enjoy some outdoor fun! To play, gather a few essential supplies like blindfolds and handheld objects such as cones, bottles, and chairs. Scatter these objects randomly across the outdoor selected area. Next, have team members pair up and designate one player to wear the blindfold. The other player becomes the guide, leading their blindfolded teammate from one side of the car park to the other, all while avoiding any contact with the objects. The catch is that only verbal instructions are allowed.

This game serves as a fantastic way to foster trust, enhance communication skills, and promote effective listening within the team. It’s an enjoyable activity that encourages collaboration and problem-solving in a dynamic outdoor setting.

• Skills: Communication, teamwork, problem-solving skills, listening skills
• Players: 10-30
• Duration: 1-2 hours
• Requirements: Blindfolds, and handheld objects to create the minefield

Tips on improving communication skills in the workplace

Effective communication is a dynamic process that requires active participation and ongoing dedication. Check out our practical tips and make your life easier:

1. Engage in active listening: Give your undivided attention, maintain eye contact, and minimize distractions. Show your involvement by nodding, summarizing, and asking pertinent questions to ensure understanding.
2. Be clear and concise: Strive for clarity and simplicity in your communication. Use straightforward language, organize your thoughts beforehand, and focus on delivering your message effectively to avoid confusion.
3. Choose the right communication channel: Select the most suitable channel based on the situation. Face-to-face or video calls are ideal for certain messages, while emails or instant messaging can be efficient for others. Consider urgency, complexity, and sensitivity before deciding.
4. Adapt to peoples’ different styles of communication: Recognize diverse communication styles and adapt accordingly. Some prefer direct and concise communication, while others appreciate more details. Pay attention to cues and flex your approach to foster effective communication with different colleagues.
5. Practice empathy: Develop empathy by considering others’ perspectives and emotions during communication. Take the time to understand their viewpoints, acknowledge their feelings, and respond supportively. This cultivates trust and strengthens relationships.
6. Offer constructive feedback: Provide feedback constructively, focusing on behaviors or outcomes rather than personal attacks. Similarly, be open to receiving feedback and embrace it as an opportunity for growth and improvement.
7. Clarify expectations: Clearly communicate expectations regarding tasks, deadlines, and roles within projects or teams. Setting clear expectations minimizes misunderstandings and ensures alignment, leading to effective collaboration.
8. Master non-verbal communication: Stay mindful of your non-verbal cues like facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice. They greatly influence how your message is received. Maintain a confident posture, display open gestures, and align your tone with the intended message.
9. Go for communication team building activities: Team building activities provide a break from the usual work routine, promoting a sense of enjoyment and camaraderie. Fun-filled communication exercises create a positive atmosphere that can boost team spirit and employee satisfaction. People who engage in fun team building activities are way more likely to refine and improve their communication skills, build stronger relationships, find common ground easier, and become more productive.
10. Embrace continuous learning: Commit to continuous learning and improvement in your communication skills. Seek out resources, workshops, or courses that can help you enhance your abilities. Regular practice and self-reflection will highlight areas for improvement.

By applying these tips and fostering mindful communication, you’ll elevate your skills and contribute to a greater, more productive environment!

FAQs

What are communication games?

Communication team building activities are meant to improve communication skills and foster teamwork within a group. These games often involve problem-solving skills, active listening, and effective communication techniques.

What activities help with communication?

Some great communication exercises for skills are: ‘Broken telephone’, ‘Mirror’, ‘The perfect square’, ‘Shuffled storyboards’, and ‘Say it with feeling’.

What is an icebreaker for communication skills?

An icebreaker for communication skills is an activity designed to break the initial tension or awkwardness in a group and facilitate conversation and interaction among people. These icebreakers aim to create a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere, allowing team members to get to know each other, establish rapport, and build communication skills. Some great examples would be: Two truths and a lie, ‘Getting to know each other’ questions, Would you rather, Fun icebreaker questions, or ‘What if’ questions.